MariaDB and MySQL are relational databases. MariaDB was created by forking the MySQL source code base, or taking a snapshot of the MySQL database and starting development from that point forward. For developer purposes, these databases are similar enough that they can be used interchangeably.
There are many ways to install these relational databases. This article focuses on using BroadIQ to deploy MariaDB/MySQL as a development database. This database is not meant for production but allows for full access to a database environment for testing purposes.
Below is an easy to follow, non-technical guide that walks you through setting up a MariaDB/MySQL database using BroadIQ.
1. Sign up with BroadIQ
If you already have an account with BroadIQ go ahead and skip to the next step.
Otherwise, create an account using the following link (https://www.broadiq.com/account-help/account/createAccount). Once an account is created, an email is sent that requires verification of the account. Verify your account. Now login to BroadIQ using the Sign in button to begin the installation of MariaDB/MySQL.
2. Create an organization with BroadIQ
To access the BroadIQ marketplace, your user has to be associated with an organization (Org). If you already have an Org in BroadIQ, skip this step.
An Org is a way to group people together in BroadIQ. It can be a company, a group of people, it could be your child’s soccer team. By creating an Org you have access to the BroadIQ marketplace, where applications can be run in the cloud and are only accessible to members of the organization.
In the upper right corner of the page select “Organizations” from the “Services” drop-down menu (see image below).
On the Organizations page select “Add Org” at the top left of the page and create a new organization. By creating an Org you (your user) are automatically the Org administrator. This means that you have complete control over the applications in your Org that are deployed in the cloud and who in your business or organization, have access to them.
3. The Marketplace
Now is the time to select either MariaDB or MySQL from the list of available applications from the BroadIQ marketplace. First, select an Org that you have previously created. Then select the “Market Place” left side menu. Scroll down the page until you find a MariaDB or MySQL application listing (See image below).
Hover over the MariaDB or MySQL application and select the “View App” link. This navigates to a new page that provides more information about the database.
This page lists more information about the application or links to the company’s website. In our case, click the “Select” button, because we want to run the application in the cloud.
4. Selecting a PAAS (Host)
The first step in running an application is to choose a location where the application is going to run. At BroadIQ, applications are run in the cloud on an infrastructure called Platform As A Service (PAAS) or Host. This page allows you to select an available Host to run your application. Push the magnifying glass button on the page to open the window allowing you to select a Host location to run your application.
Once you push the select button for the Host, the small window will close and the selected Host will appear in the box. Your selection will appear as shown on the page below.
Now push the continue button to advance to the next page.
5. Customizing the Application
Because we are running a MariaDB/MySQL database, there are a few boxes that need to be filled out, to connect to the database after it is up and running.
On the configuration page, you will need to fill in five (5) boxes. To the right of each box is a “?”. If you hover over the “?” it can provide more information about what needs to go into each box.
Once the boxes have been entered, click the “Billing” button. This presents a page that asks how you want to be billed for running the database in the cloud.
6. Billing
A credit card is required to run the application in the cloud. The credit card is billed at the end of the billing cycle (typically, only 30 days). Only the balance that is outstanding will be billed to the card. If your Organization or business has any credits for that month, those amounts will be credited (deducted) before a final balance is calculated.
On this page enter credit card information for each of the fields that are on the page.
Click the “Save” button and move to the final “Purchase Review” page.
7. Purchase Review
On the Purchase Review page, you will see an overview of the application customizations you have selected. It also provides an estimate of how much it will cost to run the application for the full month (30 days) and how long it takes to deploy the application in the cloud.
If you are happy with the configuration, click the “Deploy” button, which starts the process of deploying and running the application in the cloud.
If the application is deployed and running successfully in the cloud, the screen will change from a progress screen (above) to a running screen as shown below.
The application details page shows how many instances of the application are running as well as other details. From this view, access to the application website is available and the application can be deleted by pushing the delete button, which removes the application from the cloud.
Applications are made up of artifacts. The artifacts in an application are the software instances of the application that are running in the cloud.
From this screen, you can view the details of the running application by clicking on the cog icon, which is to the right of the running application. In the above figure, it is shown on the same line as the artifact MariaDB or MySQL (“Application Artifacts” section). The cog is on the same line as the name on the right side. Click the cog icon to be taken to a page that shows the detail about the application (artifact) that was selected.
The artifact detail page displays information about the running artifact. From this page, you can get the IP address and port number that provides you access to the database server. This is important when you try to connect an application to the database. The IP address and port number are shown above in the “Configuration” section next to the “URL” label.
Example:
URL (35.222.193.23:32229)
IP Address — 35.222.193.23
Port — 32229
The bottom of the page shows the running instances of the artifact. In the figure above it shows 1 running instance.
Conclusion
You have just deployed a MariaDB/MySQL database in the cloud using BroadIQ. Getting the application up and running should not take very long (less than 5 minutes). Now you have a MariaDB/MySQL up and running. It can be used by applications you are trying to run or you can create an application that can be attached to the MariaDB/MySQL database. Next, you might want to try to connect an application listed in BroadIQ’s marketplace to the MariaDB/MySQL you just deployed.
This MariaDB/MySQL is for development purposes and it is not backed up by BroadIQ. If you put any data into the database, you or the administrator must manually back up the MariaDB/MySQL database. This ensures that if the database crashes or is deleted you do not lose all your data.
BroadIQ is an ever-growing, application marketplace. New applications that can be deployed in the cloud are constantly added.
